


Day 212

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [212]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:35:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25635898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [212]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 1





	Day 212

Elmer woke to see three templars standing over him. He knew he was at the end of his apprenticeship and that soon he would either be made tranquil or sent to his harrowing. He had been throwing himself into his studies and doing everything he could to appease the templars, especially now, and he had no reason to think he would have his mind sundered. However, seeing three templars standing over him with drawn swords kicked reason out of his mind. 

In the moments between his waking and the first barked instructions from the templars, Elmer’s life flashed before his eyes.

When he was five and his the other children were laughing at him and calling him names because his mother worked at the Rose. He had punched one in the face and bitten the ear off of another. His mother had scolded him for causing trouble… but the children never bother him after that.

When he was ten and an elf had tried to mug him and his mother in an alley. His mother had been ready to hand over all their money but Elmer had launched himself at the mugger. He had hit him in the groin as hard as he could and when the elf had fallen over Elmer had started kicking him in the head until his mother had had to pull him away. Elmer hadn't wanted to stop and had reached out calling lightning from his fingers and killed the mugger. 

When the templars came to take him away he had attacked them too but he hadn’t been able to call on his magic and the templars were bigger and stronger than he was.They dragged him off to the gallows, kicking and screaming. They had tossed him in a cell and left him while he screamed and raged until he was all tired out. When someone next came to him, it was First Enchanter Orsino. Elmer would never forget the words Orsino had spoken to him that day.

“I understand you,” he had said. “I want to scream and shout and kick like you but we cannot, not anymore. We must push the rage down and play their games. Do what they say and smile while doing it, until we have our chance to stand up to them, but we must be ready to do it together. You must learn patience.”

When Elmer was fourteen a templar called Velasco had tripped him in the hallway, sending his books and notes flying in all directions. Elmer felt the rage coming again, but he had been practicing with Orsino to still his mind and resist these feelings. He knew the templars were always watching for any sign of disobedience, of bad behavior, even if they had to provoke it themselves. Elmer had pushed his rage down as he had so many times before and since. Velasco would not leave him alone after that, doing everything he could to get a rise out of him, but Elmer kept his anger in check, locking it away inside him for later. 

Velasco was one of the ones who had come to his bed that day. He was leading Elmer to his harrowing, where he would be forced to face a demon in the fade. Velasco was to stand over Elmer, ready to strike should he show any signs of turning into an abomination. Elmer would resist temptation and become a fill mage, or he would die at the hands of the templars.

The ritual began and Elmer entered the fade. There, he found himself faced immediately with a monster of molten lava, blazing with rage. Elmer had seen the demon many times before, every time he had closed his eyes. Every time Velasco had tormented him he had met the demon and held it in check. Elmer liked the other apprentices, he even loved some of them, and he knew that if he turned innocents would be killed by his rage. Others would be overwhelmed by demons and become possessed. Elmer wanted to be a defender, not a killer. But now, he was alone with the templars and only a few senior enchanters. Mages with the experience to look after themselves, and the nearest templar was Velasco.

“Is it time yet?” the demon asked. And Elmer nodded. Without resistance, he opened himself to the demon and let the fire of his rage consume him. He would have liked to have seen the look on Velasco’s face when he turned but the rage had blinded him to the waking world . He saw nothing, felt nothing, was nothing but the rage until the templars managed to extinguish him.


End file.
